Bramblings........

Saturday 26th January 2008

We were back at Cheesefoot Head this morning, in search of some Brambling. Lucky for us we bumped into Hampshire birder Simon Woolley, who pointed us in the right direction. Come to think of it, I had only heard of Cheesefoot Head because of Simon's booklet, Birding By Bike..... in which he spent a year birding Hampshire by bicycle. I can recommend the booklet, which is sold in aid of tsunami relief.



So there we were....... the sun was shining, a cold wind was blowing, but no ice on the ground like last time! Not another human in sight!! Just us and the birds....... Brambling, Chaffinches, Stonechats, a couple of Buzzards and some Skylarks.


goldfinches feeding on sunflower seed heads

There must have been two hundred or more Brambling, flitting between two patches of sunflower seed heads, such a joy to watch.

bramblings in flight.....

You know, standing here today, looking over the beautiful countryside and watching these wonderful birds.......... I'm pretty sure I could never tire of this..........

85. brambling
86. jackdaw

Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings.....

Sunday 6th January 2008

It was a beautiful January morning so we went in search of some Corn Buntings at Cheesefoot Head.

Cheesefoot Head is a high point on the chalk downlands two miles east of Winchester, a twenty minute drive from our house. Adjoining it is the spectacular Punchbowl – an impressive natural amphitheatre and the location for several crop circles during the 1980s. Not that I saw any of them myself, but I wish I had.



We parked in the car park and went across the road to the fields on the opposite side of the road. There was still some ice on the ground but the sun was out and the air was cold and fresh and it did feel good to be out and about. Unlike yesterday when we had to go into Southampton to do some shopping.... I didn't enjoy that at all. Needless to say, I only go there when I really have to.


yellowhammer

The first birds we noticed were Starlings, a couple of hundred of them flying together. Then some Yellowhammers came across the field and landed in the trees. I would say there were 30 of them, I've only ever seen the odd Yellowhammer, so thirty together in a tree was nice to see.

Next were two Meadow Pipits, some Chaffinches, two Skylarks, two Stonechats, two Ravens, but no Brambling....... not a single one. That did surprise me, as I know there have been Brambling in the area in the past few days.



Mind you, we hadn't seen any Corn Buntings either, and were back at the car taking off our coats when a flock of birds flew over and landed in a tree. We hoped they might be Corn Buntings, but couldn't see them clearly enough. Ian set the scope up and yes indeed.......Corn Buntings, 15 - 20 of them..... a new bird for me.

60. collared dove - garden

61. yellowhammer
62. meadow pipit
63. skylark
64. raven
65. corn bunting

Other birds seen between Ower and Totton.....

66. common buzzard
67. long tailed tit
68. carrion crow
69. lesser spotted woodpecker.